Ex-Union Minister K P Unnikrishnan dies at 89
Kozhikode (Kerala)(PTI): Former Union Minister K P Unnikrishnan, who was regarded as one of the prominent figures in Indian politics during the 1980s and 1990s, died in the early hours of Tuesday, his family said.
He was 89.
He died while undergoing treatment for age-related ailments at a private hospital here, they said.
Having been elected to the Lok Sabha six consecutive times from Vadakara, he served as a Union Minister in the V P Singh Cabinet, holding the portfolios of Surface Transport and Communications during 1989–90.
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During his tenure as Minister, he oversaw the evacuation of Indians during the Gulf War.
Beginning his professional life as a journalist, Unnikrishnan was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Vadakara in 1971 as a Congress candidate.
He subsequently represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha in 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989 and 1991.
Between 1981 and 1984, he served as the leader of Congress (Secular) in Parliament, and from 1980 to 1982 he was a member of the Public Accounts Committee.
A close associate of V K Krishna Menon, Unnikrishnan was at one time a trusted confidant of Indira Gandhi.
However, he later left the Congress following political differences.
He was active in the Congress (U) and Congress (S) before returning to the Congress in 1995.
Born on September 20, 1936, he was educated at Madras Christian College in Chennai and completed his law degree from that city.
During this period, he was associated with the Socialist Party and later the Praja Socialist Party.
In the 1960s, he joined the Indian National Congress and became a member of the All India Congress Committee in 1962.
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DJ Black Coffee's event in Goa cancelled after NOC revoked on Good Friday
Panaji (PTI): The Goa leg of Grammy-winning South African DJ Black Coffee's India tour was cancelled at the last minute on Friday evening after authorities revoked the event's No Objection Certificate (NOC), a move intended to honour the solemnity of Good Friday.
Officials on Saturday cited the need to respect local sentiments and the religious significance of the day as the primary reason for withdrawing the permission previously granted to host the "Sunset-to-Night" event.
The opposition Congress demanded a probe by the Economic Offences Cell of the state against the organisers.
The revocation of permission by the Communidade of Anjuna, in whose land the event was scheduled to be hosted, followed an objection by locals and the Congress, citing the solemn occasion of Good Friday and the upcoming Easter Sunday.
Local police officials confirmed that the organisers of "Sunset to Night" have cancelled the event, leaving many revellers disappointed.
Sebastian D'Souza, an attorney of Communidade of Anjuna, in a letter addressed to organisers, stated that the NOC granted to them on March 4, 2026, to host the musical event on April 3 in survey number 206/1 of Anjuna village has been unanimously revoked by the managing committee.
D'Souza stated that the date coincides with Holy Week, particularly Good Friday.
"This has been decided in the interest of residents of Anjuna, Vagator and Chapora," the letter reads.
The Comunidade of Anjuna is a traditional, collective land-holding institution in North Goa, part of the twelve comunidades of Bardez.
A huge crowd assembled outside the venue of the programme on Friday night as the word spread about the cancellation.
Several netizens posted reels on social media claiming they were informed about the cancellation at the last minute.
Earlier, the Congress had objected to hosting such an event on the sacred occasion of Good Friday, calling it "deeply insensitive and unacceptable."
"Your event, @Paradoxindia_, in Goa on the sacred occasion of Good Friday is deeply insensitive and unacceptable. @RealBlackCoffee , this is not just about music- it is about respecting faith. By going ahead with a techno show on a day of mourning for Christians, you have hurt religious sentiments not just in Goa, but across the world," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Patkar had written on X.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Patkar said that the state Congress would file a complaint with the Economic Offences Cell (EOC) against the organisers for allegedly selling tickets online without obtaining necessary permissions from authorities such as the Goa Pollution Control Board and the Fire and Emergency Services.
The event organisers could not be contacted immediately for their comment on the Congress leader's claim.
While at least 3,000 people had arrived in Goa to attend the event, the access road to the venue was not wide enough for Fire and Emergency Services vehicles to reach, Patkar claimed.
